Douglas D. Schumann Library & Learning Commons: CIVE 3800-01: Engineering Boston: Railroads

Internet Resources on Boston's Railroads

Amtrak Information and Facts
Fact sheets and information on construction projects, as well as timetables, stations, and routes in the Northeast Corridor.
Amtrak Vision for the Northeast Corridor
Amtrak vision papers on the planned introduction of NextGen high-speed rail in 2040.
Back on Track: An Action Plan to Transform the MBTA
A presentation from the Governor’s Special Panel to Review the MBTA.
Boston – North Station, MA (BON)
A history of this Amtrak station, located beneath TD Garden.
Boston – South Station, MA (BOS)
The history of the city's busiest train and bus station.
BPDA: South Station Air Rights Project
Project planning documents from the Boston Planning and Development Agency.
Digital Commonwealth: The Hoosac Tunnel Collection
Historic photographs and drawings of this arduous engineering project which connected Boston to the markets of the West.
Digital Commonwealth: The Hoosac Tunnel Collection
Historic photographs and drawings of this arduous engineering project which connected Boston to the markets of the West.
The Hole Boring Business: The Hoosac Tunnel
This well-illustrated website by North Adams, Mass., historian Paul Marino provides a concise overview of the tunnel's construction, which was begun in 1851 and completed in 1875.
The Hoosac Tunnel
Provides an excellent overview of the project and the methods employed to cut through the mountain.
Internet Archive Publications on the Hoosac Tunnel
Lost Boston: Park Square Station
A brief history of a railway station that closed with the opening of South Station. Contains a photo of the original building.
Map of the South Cove Railyard (1835)
The South Cove rail yard was situated in an area between present-day South Station and the Seaport.
Mass. Bay Transit Authority (MBTA)
Routes, schedules, and maps for Boston's rail and subway system.
North-South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment : Final Report (2019)
A study into the economic and engineering practicalities of linking Boston's North and South railway stations.
North Station
A history of the railway station next to Boston Garden.
South Station
A history of the largest railway station in New England.
South Station Air Rights Project
The official website of the project.
South Station Expansion Documents
Plans and studies for the expansion of rail capacity for New England's second busiest railway terminal.
TransitMatters
This citizen action group advocates for improvements in Boston's mass transit system.

Historical Documents on Heavy Rail Transportation in Boston

Annual Report of the Directors of the Boston, Barre & Gardner Railroad Company to the Stockholders (1869-1884)
Annual Reports of the Boston and Maine Railroad (1851-1977)
Some years are missing.
Annual Reports of the Directors of the Boston and Albany Railroad Co. to the Stockholders (1865-1895)
Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society
See the Society's online archives for annual reports, freight car data, abandoned rail lines, and bridge drawings.
The Boston and Lowell Railroad...(1918)
Provides the history of a railroad company founded in 1830, as well two other rail lines: the Nashua and Lowell, and the Salem and Lowell
Map of the South Cove Railyard (1835)
The South Cove rail yard was situated in an area between present-day South Station and the Seaport.
Report on the Surveys and Definite Location of the Eastern Rail Road (1836)
A report on the planned route of a railway from East Boston to the New Hampshire border.